South Island Regional
Advisory Committee (Justice and Community Sector)

For more information on RACs in general and other
aspects of the treaty process, refer to the BC Treaty
Commission web page.

Background to ARC's involvement
in SIRAC

The current B.C. Treaty process calls for openness and
consultation. In addition to the three parties at the negotiating table (First Nations,
the Federal government, the B.C. Provincial government) various advisory committees have
been set up, so that other sectors of the community can learn about progress and express
their opinion of the negotiations while they are proceeding. Municipal representatives
form one committee. Others deemed to have a direct stake in the outcome of settlements,
i.e. land and resource users and Crown lease and licence holders also participate in
either province-wide or regional committees. Negotiators for the Federal and Provincial
governments meet with and report to the committees on a regular basis.

ARC Victoria obtained a seat on the South Vancouver Island Regional
Advisory Committee (SIRAC) representing " the larger community and justice
sector". As a prerequisite is to demonstrate that your organization represents a
sector that is not already participating, our presentation stressed that organizations
with an interest in social justice should have a voice. (The Minister of Aboriginal
Affairs endorsed this view). ARC's affiliation with the major churches carried a lot of
weight here and letters of recommendation from various local church leaders were
influential.

There are approximately 25 regular members of SIRAC, most of them
with an interest in protecting access to land and resources, from members of the forestry
and fishing industries down to the local rod and gun clubs. ARC Victoria is in a minority
in taking a broad view and seeking just and equitable settlements both for First Nations
and for society as a whole. We speak out, for example, against policies such as
"interim meaures", whereby resources continue to be extracted at an
ever-increasing pace by lease-holders during negotiations from lands under claim, a
situation which will result in few or no resources being left for the First Nations by the
time treaties are signed.